Leavitt Lake - Truck Camper Off Road Overland!

Remote mountain lakes are incredible and they are even better when the access road requires a high clearance 4WD!
Leavitt Lake is around 9,600ft in elevation and is accessible from Leavitt Lake Road (Forest Service Road 077). However, it is gated at the bottom as snow often limits access until July. It’s a rough road that has multiple sections that can “wash out” and a couple shallow stream crossings. The road is fairly steep in sections and rocky. Not recommended for trailers. Camping is allowed but there are no services (no toilets) and haul in/out anything you bring (leave no trace). It can also get extremely windy - something to keep in mind if tent camping. Weekends can be busy during the summer with 20-40 vehicles. We saw anywhere from 10-20 vehicles arrive during the weekdays but only a handful camped overnight.
We hiked to Ski Lake which is just under 10,000ft in elevation. It’s fairly easy but a beautiful, worthwhile trail. The following day we hiked to Koenig Lake which is easily accessible and scenic. From there we hiked to Latopie Lake which is 10,400ft elevation and rather difficult. Extremely steep, loose and exposed but incredible views of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It also leads to the Pacific Crest Trail.
We inflated the paddle boards and paddled multiple times every day. What a wonderful destination!
#truckcamper #superduty #overland

[@jimburger9418]

Ah, there you are. I was beginning to wonder where you two were! As always, I appreciate seeing what a properly built full-size truck with a slide-in, hard-sided camper can do and the places you can go. Thanks for taking us along.

[@TruckCamper]

Yeah... we've been busy on many projects. But getting on some fun routes!! More to come. Thanks for watching. :)

[@sharpsticksnz4112]

Thank you for showing this on some rough trails. It's so hard to find any videos on KZbin of anyone actually going off road with any truck camper. Mostly they're just on poorly maintained shingle roads that you can drive a 2wd van on.

[@TruckCamper]

Absolutely! We have lots of off road videos... Truck Camper with proper suspension can go to some remote places. No van will be following! :)

[@bryan-norden]

Just got a F-350 and really want to go up some trails like this. Glad to see your truck and camper make it up just fine. Can't wait to go exploring and camping like this.

[@TruckCamper]

Yes! Just make sure to build it to handle the off road use. We have lots of videos showing things we've done... may give you some ideas! Thanks for watching. Have fun

[@downbytheriver501]

Nice to see I'm not the only one who takes truck campers to places not many go. Have you ever had someone act honestly surprised that you managed to get a TC down a certain trail? The reactions are priceless.

[@TruckCamper]

Totally. But mostly I think people are questioning why they are in a tent instead of a comfy camper.... :)

[@downbytheriver501]

@@TruckCamper we certainly dont have to be concerned about Grizzlies in our setups!

[@SuperDuty23XL]

great video, very cool! Looks super challenging with that camper on top.

[@TruckCamper]

It was great fun! Epic destination with a bit of a challenge; can't beat that. We need to get back there... Want to try your rig on it?

[@nwdualsport]

Just found you channel. Nice to see someone with a truck camper really using it offroad! Great job guys!

[@TruckCamper]

Appreciate it! Thanks for the comment. :)

[@terrymitchell7714]

The road into Leavitt Lake does get a little love with a blade, just not very often. I have fished and hiked the area for 60+ years. On normal snow years the road is not open until the end of June. You can count on the wind coming up ever afternoon. Leavitt is one of my favorite in California, along with Sardine Lake near Sierra City.

[@TruckCamper]

It is a special location for sure!!

[@averagealice8877]

thanks for this video! I'm re-watching your segment starting at 2:36 over and over trying to decide if our rig could have made it through there... not sure how steep it would have been if you'd stayed closer to that tree...always a fun challenge!

[@TruckCamper]

It is fairly steep and off camber. We locked the front and rear differentials. It was lifting the front tire and losing traction. Without locking differentials it would be less controlled and probably safer to hook up a winch for assistance. Fun for sure!!

[@nickt9467]

I went up in 2020. They definitely fixed the road between then and 2021. That corner with the tree was too wide to straddle. It looks like they put a bunch of the softball-sized rock in all the low points. Dig the rig, like that you guys are getting out there and doing it. August 2020, every campsite was full. The lake you hiked to is Ski lake. If you take the forest road between where you were camped and Ski Lake and head south along the ridge, you'll intersect with the PCT along the top of the bluff above Leavitt. Elevation of Leavitt is 9500' at lake level. Edit: was halfway through the video. Saw you went on to Koenig and then Latopie. Very cool. Elevation at Latopie is 11,265'!!

[@TruckCamper]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing... It does get busy up there but still a beautiful location. Keeping the road challenging is a great way to limit traffic.

[@outdoorswithlarryrobin]

Hello from Northern Virginia, just subscribed. Your Bolder than us, Take Care 👍🏼🇺🇸

[@TruckCamper]

Welcome!! Glad you found us. More adventures to come!

[@markb9347]

Acclimatizing to that gain in elevation is no joke. Glad you made it back down safely. The steep slopes are tough enough, but adding thin air your body isn't fully adjusted to and it can get dicey quick. Thanks for bringing us to places most people never make it to.

[@TruckCamper]

So true! Thanks for sharing. :)

[@kr639]

Love it! That lake is the bomb. You have bigger kahunas than me navigating that trail tipping that far. lol!

[@TruckCamper]

Agreed! And fun road to keep things interesting... we do like the off road routes!

[@CortJohnson]

Great to see a big truck camper up there!

[@TruckCamper]

Yes! Great to have a comfy place to enjoy the beautiful location

[@thetrailoutthere]

Subscribed! Awesome video and thanks for sharing this! FYI...it's good to air down especially around sharp rocks, the higher PSI in the tires the easier a sidewall puncture can happen. Happened to a rig on our last run. Out of about 50 trucks he was the only one who didn't air down and suffered a sidewall puncture. Keep the videos coming!

[@TruckCamper]

Absolutely correct. We typically run tire pressure at 25 front and 35 rear for moderate off road. Our tires have a max PSI of 50. So they do conform to the terrain fairly well even at full pressure. Most don't realize the benefits of lower tire pressures... thanks for sharing!!

[@UprootedAdventures]

Cool video you two! Another couple degrees at that one spot and I'm sure it would've went over haha, that front tire was coming off the ground. Nice to see someone taking it to the limits with a hard side camper!

[@TruckCamper]

Thanks! It's amazing what is possible with a heavy rig... :)

[@scampofscamps8080]

We have a 2019 Ford F350 and a 2020 Arctic Fox 811, we hope to be making these type of adventures soon.

[@TruckCamper]

Awesome! That is a heavy camper... might be good to test on easier routes first. Definitely a bit sketchy in sections. :)

[@ToddStull]

It would be hilarious if she could do the narration with a voice like the old school monster truck commercials 😂

[@TruckCamper]

HAHA - that could be fun. :)

[@alive4082]

That 350 has the power. I got the same axles on my FJ now just need a motor swap.

[@TruckCamper]

Would be easier to body swap a Super Duty.... not much FJ left. :)

[@travelingman21000]

Good video, nice job in navigating that trail up to the lake. I don't recognize what make of TC you have.

[@TruckCamper]

Thanks! It's a Northstar Liberty camper. We removed the decals for a cleaner appearance

[@scuzzyfpv]

Just got back from their yesterday. Beautiful place for sure.

[@TruckCamper]

Absolutely! :)

[@jackg8478]

Was it busy?

[@scuzzyfpv]

@@jackg8478 wasn't empty but wasn't packed. We got there early Friday morning to get a good spot. Lots of day use people came and went each day. People having fires when it's a strict fire ban right now (except propane fires). Forest rangers came through a few times.

[@TruckCamper]

Campfires are extremely frustrating to see... can't believe people do it with smoke filled skies and closed hwys. Crazy!

[@hardworkingamerican8847]

That was fun to watch and I hope to be able to do some similar adventures . Have a 2015 Dodge Ram Laramie 2500 4x4 longbed . Just thinking about what camper would work for me .

[@TruckCamper]

Awesome! I'd recommend as small, narrow and light as possible that meets your comfort needs. Have fun!!

[@TheOAKLANDAL]

If you guys think that 4WD trail was rough 3 years ago then you should see what it looks like now…

[@TruckCamper]

Exciting! It's on the return list. Looking forward to it

[@richbowie76]

Another fine video !

[@TruckCamper]

Thanks for the encouragement. :)

[@manchesterroofingsystems8016]

@ 3:04 with the dicey lean angle, what gave you the confidence you'd be ok? Do you go by accumulated experience or do you have a lean angle sensor also? Thanks!

[@TruckCamper]

By feel. Slowly increase difficulty to see how the truck and camper handle it. Biggest cause of tipping is weight transfer... And pack camper with heavy items as low as possible (center of gravity). Smooth driving. Slow. And be willing to stop and shovel or stack rocks if needed. Stay calm and controlled. But nothing replaces experience and progressively increase challenges. Hope that helps!

[@mikea4074]

Very impressive!!!!!!

[@TruckCamper]

Thanks!! It was great fun... :)

[@mikea4074]

@@TruckCamper was very surprised at how the truck and camper handled the trail

[@kevin43324332]

Glad you're out and having fun. As someone who has a 1 ton Jeep wrangler dedicated to crawling, I also have a 3/4 ton 4x4 truck and a camper as well. With that said, it's pretty stupid to be out there by yourself and to compound those decisions with a 2k ish camper. Very top heavy.. What would you do if you blew an axle or flopped it? I know it's all about getting out and boon docking/off grid camping but always hit trails like that with at least one capable buddy rig. If you can't then my advice is to stick to easier roads...

[@TruckCamper]

Never Jeep alone... never know what might break. Haha. We built this truck camper for terrain like this. Check out our build videos. If we our truck camper can't handle this... we will sell it and buy a Winnebago. We have been on many extended off road remote trips. We typically travel solo. Our trips can last months and we won't sit at home waiting for a buddy to come along. Off road trips are fun with groups but also a hassle as there is always someone without experience or not properly equipped. For more extreme terrain we drop the camper like Hells Gate (video posted). That being said... know and respect the risks.

[@Diesel0807]

A stock tacoma will make it a lot of places that thing never would... you guys almost rolled it on a rather easy road, its in way worse shape now than it was 3 years ago and its a very busy place thanks to people who need to broadcast everything they do ..

[@TruckCamper]

True... Lighter, smaller vehicles can manage certain obstacles more easily. However, we didn't almost roll. It may look tippy but the COG is rather low compared to the height. It was surprisingly stable. Thanks for watching

[@byronlemay2166]

Excellent...I was wondering where you guys have been. Looks like you had to dump "Expedition" from the name? Anyway...the truck looks great and it appears the mods you made are really paying off. I took delivery of Super Duty and Hallmark Nevada flatbed model in mid-April...so my rig, although a pop up, is similar in size and weight to yours. Sometime this next month I'll be getting custom rear springs like yours (Alcan, Grand Junction) but the FOX 2.5 shocks for my truck (stock height) are out of stock everywhere and according to Accutune won't be available until February! I'll probably slap on a set of 5100s in the meantime...my truck as it is would probably make it up to that lake but it wouldn't be fun! You did it right...getting the 250 and building it up. I got the 350 hoping it would be adequate...it isn't. I'm following your lead, one bit at a time. Good to see it in action. Your wife is cute as hell, BTW.

[@TruckCamper]

We've been stuck doing a bunch of projects... good to be back out adventuring! We have some great stuff to come.... Would be fun to meet up when your rig is ready to roll. :)

[@stevenattlee9830]

Damn that was some brave driving with a camper! How much does it weigh loaded up?(the camper)

[@TruckCamper]

We are around 10k lbs.

[@BrentlyFresh3000]

Suspension upgrades? Camper weight? Looks fun!

[@TruckCamper]

Yes! For sure...

[@DrumPeearl]

Hey! Just watched it :) Is it common to have to drive through those tricky paths to reach a sleeping spot ? Seem like a lot of hassle.. And even if the tires are axes are made to do off road I assume it considerably reduced their lifespan ?

[@TruckCamper]

We often drive difficult off road routes. For us, it's fun to push the boundaries and get to special remote destinations. We prefer less people and quiet. It is more wear and tear but driving careful with proper upgrades limits risk of failures. We have lots of other off road adventure videos you can browse. Thanks for sharing!

[@DrumPeearl]

@@TruckCamper we are traveling through Europe with a really small Class A (we don't find that in the US. It's basically a van but little wider) and we can great spots that are easily accessible! We are almost avoiding people as much as possible. But do you really have to do all of that to make sure you will sleep alone?

[@TruckCamper]

@@DrumPeearl Sounds like a great adventure! Nope... certainly lots of different styles of travel. We just enjoy finding the difficult routes and remote spots. :)

[@dennisreynolds6915]

Would you consider this with a kid? We are thinking of getting a gas 7.3 f250 SRW crew cab. We will do both onroad and off road travel

[@TruckCamper]

Sure! Could always have kid walk a section if feeling questionable. We love our truck. It has held up well so far... just completed 1,500miles off road through Idaho. Will have some videos coming soon...

[@simonsays582]

Have you ever considered Kenda Klever RT's or AT2. Also the new Cooper Rugged Trek.

[@TruckCamper]

Haven't considered the Kenda tires. Typically like to stay with highest quality and most reputable brands. Tire size availability is also an issue... there are less options in "oversized" sizes. Not a fan of Cooper tires especially off road. Although I know many like the STT Pro (which I haven't tried). ST Maxx are poor. AT3 are terrible everywhere I've seen them (embarrassing bad). But really it comes down to where you go and your expectations. :)

[@Artburg]

How much frame flex do you get over uneven areas??

[@TruckCamper]

None. All the 2017+ Super Duty trucks are fully boxed frames. No deflection from camper and truck. Rather nice!

[@futurebalance6134]

Nice rig, what is the total height and average mpg?

[@TruckCamper]

Think we are just under 11ft with the vents. 10-11mpg average. Even off road for 1,500 miles it was 9.5mpg. Has been in the 6mpg range when pushing deep snow in low range for a couple days. Best was around 13mpg.

[@Artburg]

Do you get chasis flex over bumps etc?

[@TruckCamper]

Nope. The 2017+ Super Duty has a fully boxed frame. There's no deflection or flex which is great for a truck camper. We have other videos showing the suspension fully flexed with the camper

[@dieseldudebigmack1825]

Nice. Was the camper crooked when you started off? Or did it shift with the offroading?

[@TruckCamper]

It never shifted. There are guides welded to the truck bed that keep the camper from moving...

[@tedlydub]

Nice to see it actually used! How’s the front fenders taking full flex?

[@TruckCamper]

Yes! Has full clearance... check out our earlier videos showing tire fitment. :)

[@cordelmar]

Ok I think I watched a video were you and your wife were comparing the NorthStar Camper against the Class C Diesel Vehicle, Now I see your have a No name camper on your 4x4 and I like to know Why??

[@TruckCamper]

Check out some of our other videos... our camper is a Northstar Liberty. We wanted a more durable and capable travel rig to enjoy remote locations. Getting away from RVs and crowds where they can go...

[@cordelmar]

@@TruckCamper Ok sound good, I ll check it out. Right now I m editing my (Truck Mileage experiment) video. I m considering on getting a solid camper to do the same backwoods trail that i do with my popup camper, and trying to decide on with camper to look at, can't be to big or heavy.

[@TruckCamper]

@@cordelmar We have lots of info on our camper... previously owned a popup. This is one of the more capable lighter ones on the market for hard wall.

[@dtmpowerboss]

What's the mpg?

[@TruckCamper]

Off road will vary. On road 10-12mpg keeping speed under 65mph. Not bad considering the modifications

[@jackg8478]

Would a long bed crew cab be too long for that trail?

[@TruckCamper]

You could do it. It is plenty wide. There are several interesting sections that will take some driving attention...

[@tomguertin7713]

That camper needed to be recentered on the truck. Way over to the left of center.

[@TruckCamper]

Nope. There are camper guides welded to the bed that keep the camper perfectly centered. See earlier videos.... What you are seeing is an illusion because the camper is wider (bumped out on the right side for the bathroom).

[@ronaldmilligan63]

Top heavy

[@TruckCamper]

It's tall. But COG (center of gravity) is rather low for the height. Around 30" from camper floor. It does look funny but weight is loaded low and no RV junk like roof AC unit, microwave, TV... We have plenty of off road videos showing the places we've traveled.

[@C26A5]

Good videos, but why do you two talk with that strange affect?

[@j3jymann]

My parents did the same voice in old home movies from the days of vhs tapes. I like it

[@TruckCamper]

Hmm... Not sure.

[@bubbascoutdog]

For your trail tree problems, does somebody make a bra that goes over the front and extending down the sides of the camper? Is it LEAGAL to cut trees on the trail like y'all did? I don't know, that's why I ask.

[@TruckCamper]

Not that I've seen... tree pinstripes happen to all vehicles driving in the places we do. We just get more being a bit wider and taller. Trimming trees to keep existing roads open is helpful for the forest service... and we only cut what is necessary.

[@pilot41186]

As you purposely hit every rock like a tool

[@TruckCamper]

Not sure what feedback is. We do off road a good deal. This is an excellent road and destination. And shows the capability of the Truck Camper.